Just Starting Out And Would Like Some Advice On Grading.

Great recommendation from Echizento. Coin World has a photograde book of sorts out but it does not include all types of U.S. Coins. The photograde book by PCGS (I believe) is also a good one. Q. David Bowers has an excellent book out about grading U.S. gold coins. I'd also recommend attending coin shows and looking at various grades in the dealer cases and engaging them in conversation about how they grade their coins. Putting together a cheap type set might help as well. I met one gentleman who had a "graded" type set of Morgan dollars graded by PCGS. The coins were a single common date Morgan, all were the same date and they were graded by PCGS from AG (About Good) all the way up to MS65. A really cool set and a good reference to boot. Then you have to ask the question - why pay $30 plus postage for an AG common date Morgan to be graded by PCGS. The answer would be to complete your "graded" type set. Good luck with your pursuit.

Books are good, the ones mentioned are the staples. My advice is go to the grading forums here and practice grading the coins posted. This was the best resource I had when I was starting earlier this year.

Also check out HA.com and practice grading there. A lot of there coins are slabbed so you can check your grade against theirs.

Long story short: books are a good reference, but the best way to learn to grade is to actually grade as much as possible.

My advise for you is this. If you are going to purchase raw coins you must learn to grade accurately or sometime or somewhere in your collecting career you will pay too much. Moreover you will likely pay to much quite often.

If you are going for uncirculated coins, then using a respected third party grading company will help you in your quest.

It might be to your advantage also to develop a working relationship with a dealer in your area.